About

I'm a writer based in Sunderland in the North-East of England. I've been shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, and the Northern Writers Award.

I’ve sold over thirty short stories; some of those have won awards or been reprinted in anthologies, and my novel ‘One of Us’ is published by infinityplus.

As well as novels and short stories, I write screenplays, radio and stage drama, and write and perform poetry which you might catch at one of the north-east spoken word nights. I put together the spoken word programme for the 2017 Summer Streets Festival. My first screenplay, an adaptation of my short story 'Nowhere to Go', is currently being filmed by the award-winning RGR Film Productions.

I founded and run the Holmeside Writers group in Sunderland, and run writing-related workshops and events. I have been an invited judge for the last three years of the 'Sunderland Shorts' short film festival, and am on the Executive Editorial Board for the University of Sunderland's creative writing press, Spectral Visions. Amongst other projecs, I have worked in collaboration with the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art to stage a writing workshop between Holmeside Writers and the artist Beatriz Olabarrieta, and delivered a workshop as part of the NGCA Reviewers in Residence programme.

If you'd like to talk to me about running a writing workshop, event or other activity, or about editing or mentoring for writers, then take a look here.